Token - 1 Penny, T. Butterworth & Co, Drapers, Grocers & General Provision Merchants, Castlemaine, Victoria, Australia, 1859

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A Mint London, United Kingdom
B Issued By Castlemaine, Australia

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Summary:: Copper one Penny Token, minted by W.J.Taylor of London or Heaton & Sons of Birmingham. Issued by T. Butterworth & Co, Drapers, Grocers & General Provision Merchants in Castlemaine, 1859. This token is worn and has been cleaned. Although this business is named for an individual it was in fact run by four Butterworth brothers, Thomas, Robert, Benjamin and John. The brothers purchased their business from Messrs Sargood and Gardner, around 1856. The brothers were noted for conduct befitting successful men of their time, and involved themselves in the life of their community. Tom and Ben played Cricket for the Australian squad that played against the touring English Eleven in 1863, and Ben represented Victoria on several occasions during the 1860s. They were noted in the 1863 Victorian Cricketers Guide as batsmen and capable fielders. As activity at Castlemaine decreased, the brothers recognised the decline of their prospects and moved to Dunedin, New Zealand, sometime between 1862 and 1864, where their store was said to be thriving in 1910.
Description:: A round copper token (34 mm diameter). The token features the name and address of the issuer: T. Butterworth & Co., 1 Forest St. Castlemaine. The reverse features a female figure representing Justice seated on a wool bale with legs to left but her head and upper body to front. A wine barrel lies on the ground behind her and a three-masted sailing ship sails to the right on the horizon to the left. She wears a blindfold and extends a balanced set of scales with her right hand. With her left she holds an inverted cornucopia from which fruits flow onto the ground. She wears an ancient-style of flowing dress bound at the waist, her left arm bare and right draped to near the elbow.
Acquisition Information:: Transfer from Melbourne Branch of Royal Mint, 1978

Discipline:	Numismatics
Dimensions:	34 mm (Diameter)
Weight:	14.009 g (Weight)

More information

Tagged with:	drapers, grocers, retailing, shops, spirits, wholesale trade, wine spirit merchants
Themes this item is part of:	T. Butterworth & Co., General Merchants, Castlemaine, Victoria, Numismatics & Philately Collection, Sustainable Futures Collection, Working Life & Trades Collection, Royal Mint, Melbourne Branch, Melbourne, Victoria, W.J.Taylor, Mint, London, United Kingdom, Branch Mints of the Royal Mint, Deputy Masters of the Melbourne Branch of the Royal Mint, Closure of Melbourne Mint, Melbourne Mint during World War II, Establishment of Melbourne Mint, 1872, Melbourne Mint
Primary Classification:	TRADE TOKENS
Secondary Classification:	Australia - Victoria
Tertiary Classification:	working strikes
Series:	Trade Tokens
DateEra:	1859 AD
Denomination:	1 Penny
Obverse Description:	. T.BUTTERWORTH & Co. / 1 / FOREST / STREET / CASTLEMAINE The numeral 1 is 3.4 mm tall, border of 128 beads.
Reverse Description:	A female figure representing Justice seated on a wool bale with legs to left but her head and upper body to front. A wine barrel lies on the ground behind her and a three-masted sailing ship sails to the right on the horizon to the left. She wears a blindfold and extends a balanced set of scales with her right hand. With her left she holds an inverted cornucopia from which fruits flow onto the ground. She wears an ancient-style of flowing dress bound at the waist, her left arm bare and right draped to near the elbow, in exergue, 1859
Edge Description:	Plain
Inscriptions:	Obverse:T. BUTTERWORTH & Co. 1 FOREST STREET CASTLEMAINE Reverse: 1859
Shape:	round
Material:	Copper
Issued By:	Butterworth, T.& Co, Castlemaine, Victoria, Australia, 1859
Mint:	W.J.Taylor, Mint, London, England, Great Britain
Previous Collection:	Royal Mint, Melbourne Branch
References:	Two obverse dies were needed to complete the Butterworth orders for tokens. They are most easily identified by the height of the numeral 1 of the address and the bead count around the rim: Obverse height of 1 Border Beads A 4.1 mm 135 B 3.4 mm 128 Both obverse dies were used with a reverse giving details of the company business, Reverse 1 and in 1859 with a reverse depicting a seated figure of Justice, Reverse 2. This token was struck with the die combination B/2 This work has normally been associated with W.J. Taylor in London but Heaton & Son may also have produced this reverse type.
Bibliography:	[Book], Dr Arthur Andrews, Australasian Tokens and Coins, Trustees of the Mitchell Library, Sydney, Sydney, 1921, No. 54 [Book], Dion Skinner - Renniks & Co Pty Ltd, Gilbert Heyde, Unofficial Coins of Colonial Australia and New Zealand, 1967, No. 33 [Article] Sharples, John P. 1993. A Catalogue of the Trade Tokens of Victoria 1848 to 1862. Journal of the Numismatic Association of Australia. vol.7: p.1-77., V. 20

Comments

Sue Christensen Posted on 24 Nov 2009 11:39 AM

I have a 1859 token where do we take it to

Discovery Centre Posted on 06 Dec 2009 11:55 AM

Hi Sue,

If you were wondering where to take the object for valuation, please access the web address below for information on obtaining valuations.
http://museumvictoria.com.au/discoverycentre/discovery-centre-news/coin-valuations/